Method of and means for previewing coiffures



Jan. 19, 1960 F. s. REEVES METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR PREVIEWING COIF'FURES Filed May 20, 1958 2 SheetsSheet 1 Suarez-r l NVENTOR. 52mm S'REEVEs ATTOTZM EY-S Jan. 19, 1960 F. s. REEVES METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR PREVIEWING COIFFURES Filed May 20, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lifjfjj.

INVENTOR.

FRANK 5.229125 '24 BY 20 ATTOEHEY can only wait until the coiir'ure grows out.

United States Patent METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR PREVIEWING COIFFURES Frank S. Reeves, Louisville, Ky., assignor to Dial-A-Style,

This invention relates to the method of and means for ascertaining the appearance of a particular coiffure on an individual.

The customers of beauty shops often desire to have their particular coiifure changed, so as to maintain an attractive appearance in keeping with the latest fashions in hair styles or coiffures. I r

However,- a difiiculty which exists at the present time resides in the fact that one is unable to determine how a particular coiifure will appear, on herself, without actually having the coiffure done. In these circumstances, it often happens that after the customer has ordered and received a particular coifiure, she finds that it does not have an attractive appearance. In such a situation, one This of course may take a long period of time, during which time ones hair will appear unattractive while it goes through the transitional stage of growing out sufiiciently to permit the hair to be redone in a different style.

This difiiculty has long persisted, as is well known in beauty shops and similar establishments. Therefore, cus tomers are exceedingly reluctant, in many instances to have their hair styles changed. This is understandable, in view of the fact that the customer in effect is only guessing as to what the appearance of the new hair style will be. Hair styling that is attractive on one individual may quite possibly be unattractive upon another individual. Therefore, one cannot determine whether to have her own hair style changed, merely by observing it upon a diiferent person.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with particular reference to womens hair styling. .How-

One important object of the present invention is to eliminate the difliculties which have heretofore persisted in connection with ones determining how a particular coiifure will look upon her own head, through-the provision of an apparatus thatwill superpose various different coilfures upon ones photograph. In this way, it is proposed to permit one to ascertain immediately how a particular coiifure will look upon herself.

'Another object is to provide an apparatus as stated which will be compact, will be designed to permit the coiffure previewing operation to be carried out swiftly and easily, and will be designed to product a finished representation of the individual with the new coifiure.

Another object is to form an apparatus of the character stated that will be so designed as to be usable with coin mechanisms, so that the apparatus can be coin-controlled if desired.

Another object is to provide an apparatus of the character stated that will permit the swift and easy interchange of various strips containing, in following order, diiferent coiifures, that are to be superimposed upon ones photograph.

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Another object is to provide a coifiure previewing method and means that will be characterized not only by the form and speed of action employed in carrying out the invention, but also by a remarkable clarity and faithfulness to detail. In this way, it is proposed that the invention be especially characterized by its adaptability for revealing the exact suitability of a'particular coifiure, on the features of a particular individual.

Still another object is to provide a device as stated which will be so simple in construction and operation as to permit it to be operated by the customer herself, in many instances.

Another object is to incorporate in the invention quickfinish photographic means, such as the well known Polaroid Land camera, so that the complete operation,

: from beginning to end, will take-no more than a very few minutes. In this way, it is proposed to not only cut down the amount of time on the part of the, beauty operator and the customer, but also to make the device readily available for the next use thereof.

Another object is to provide a method and means as stated which will be characterized by its great economy of operation, in that the cost of the entire operation will be reduced not only by the pronounced reduction in' the elapsed time hereinbefore referred to, but also in the low cost of materials. Said materials comprise only the film on which the customers picture is printed plus the small cost of -the transparencies of various coiifures, adapted to be superimposed in following order upon said print.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and fromthe annexed drawings,-in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a Polaroid camera being used during the initial step of the operation, to take a photograph of the customer;

LFigureZ is an enlarged view of the print of the customers picture, taken with her present coiffure or hair style;

Figure 3 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of a continuous strip showing a plurality of diiferent coiffures, any of which the customer may select;

Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing the apparatus of the invention in use;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view on an enlarged scale of the apparatus, showing one of the various new coifiures superimposed directly upon the customers own features; I

, Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view, the scale being enlarged above that of Figure 4, through the apparatus taken on line 66 of Figure 4; Y

a Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view, on the same scale as Figure 6, taken substantially on line 77 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view on the same scale as Figure 4. a

Referring to the drawings in detail, in Figure 1 there is shown at 10 a conventional quick-finish photographic device, this comprising the well known Polaroid Land camera. I a

Such a camera is characterized by the fact that after the subjects picture has been taken therewith, a print of the picture is obtainable within approximately 60 seconds, more or less, from the back of the camera. Thus, in Figure l the camera 10 is shown mounted on a tripod 11, and after the camera has taken the picture of the subject individual A, a print 12 of the picture is obtainable in approximately one minute, more or less.

In accordance with the invention, a head-and-shoulders picture, or a head only, will be taken. Further, in practicing the invention the camera would be mounted at a particular location and would beleft at that location,

Patented Jan. 19, 1960 and the subjectA would be required to stand at a second location at a predetermined distance from the camera, said second location being such that operation of the camera will cause a picture of. a predetermined size tobe taken. Reference is here made to the fact that in the print 12, the customers head H will appear at .a particular size relative to the size of the. print. This is of importance in view of the fact that a continuous orendless strip 14, containing transparencies illustrating various coiffures, will have the coiffures printed thereon in a size that is proper for the size of the head H appearing on the print 12.

Full control over this phase ofthe operation, of course,

is' alforded by reason of the fact that the camera is stationarily mounted, and by reason of the fact that the customer is required to stand at a predetermined location relative to'the camera; The head andshoulders will be framed as at 15 in the View finder of thecamera, to cause the size of head H in the finished print to. be properly dimensioned for carrying out the remaining steps of the operation. V

' Generally designated at 16 is a viewing apparatus formed according to the present invention. Referring to Figure 6, this apparatus includes a base generally designated at 18 which is of rectangular configuration in the illustrated example, and which includes a Hat top wall 22 of rectangular configuration disposed in a horizontal plane. Base 18 further includes a bottom Wall 20 supportable in face-to-face contact with a supporting surface S, and side walls 24 fixedly connected between corresponding longitudinal edges of the bottom and top walls 20, 22. A back wall 26 is also provided, being also fixedly connected between the top and bottom walls at the back edge.

The front of the base is open,,and' a drawer 28, operable through the provision of a drawer pull 30, is movable into and out of a normally recessed position within the hollow base. Drawer 28 is adapted to contain a quantity or set of the endless transparency strips 14.

Generally designated at 29 is an upwardly opening housing fixedly mounted upon and extending upwardly from the top wall 22. Housing 29 includes avertically disposed front wall 36, correspondingly disposed back wall 38, and side walls 32, .34. Back wall 38 is higher than front wall 36, and the top edges of the side walls are inclined in a direction rearwardly upwardly from the front wall to the back wall. Thus, housing 29 increases progressively in depth in a direction from its front to its back end.

Formed in the top edge of the side wall 34 is, an upwardly opening, deep slot 40.

Generally designated 42 is a roller assembly within which the strip 14 is tensioned in use of the device. The roller assembly includes a casing generally designated at 43. Casing 43 is wholly open at one side, as clearly shown in Figure 8, and includes a back wall 44, side wall 46, front wall 48, and bottom wall 50. Back wall 44 is higher than front wall 48, and the side wall 46 progressively increases in height in a direction toward the back wall, correspondingly to the analogous components of the housing 29.

Substantially centrally formed in a cover plate 54 is a rectangular viewing opening 57, and arranged to illuminate the area of said opening is a light means'including a bracket 58 secured to the cover plate, said bracket being integral or otherwise rigid with a light shade 59. A light socket carrying a light bulb 60 is mounted on the bracket, and the light bulb is turned on and off through the provision of a switch 62.

Generally designated at 64 is a carrier, comprising a part of the roller assembly 42. This is mounted within the roller assembly casing 43, and includesa frame carrying a series of rollers about which strip 14 is tensioned.

Carrier 64 includes triangularly spaced rollers 66, 68, 70,-the axes of which are parallel and extend transversely v of the casing, said rollers being mounted upon shafts 72,

74, 76 respectively. Rollers 66, 68 are rear and front upper rollers, respectively, being disposed in close proximity to the back and front edges of the viewing opening 57 immediately below cover plate 54. Roller 70 is a lower roller, and the shaft 76 thereof at its ends is movable upwardly and downwardly within bearing slots 78 formed in triangular roller support plates 80 fixedly connected in spaced relation by a centrally disposed brace plate 81 (Figure 6).

In a preferred embodiment, the rear upper roller 66 is provided at locations spaced longitudinally thereof with circumferential ribs 82, with roller 68 being smooth-surfaced. All the rollers, in a preferred embodiment, are provided with collars or flanges at their ends, to hold the strip 14 against lateral slippage from its assigned position. Strip 14 is provided with transverse line markings at uniformly spaced locations thereon, dividing the same into a series of separate frames 86.

The roller 70 is weighted to such an extent that when the strip 14 is tensioned about the several rollers, roller 70, tending to gravitate within slots 78, will tension the band or strip about the several rollers so that there will be'no slippage when the rollers are turning, and so that the band will be taut over its full area.

Designated at 83 is a backing plate, also fixedly connected between the plates 80, in overlying relation to the brace plate 81 (Figure 6'). The band 14 is tensioned over the surface of the backing plate, and as shown in Figure 6, in use of the device the print 12, having the customers picture, is interposed between the top portion of the tensioned strip, and the backing plate.

In use of the apparatus, after the customers picture has been taken and a print made, the print is placed upon the backing plate 83 in the manner shown in Figures 6-8. Then, any of a plurality of strips 14 is selected from the drawer 28. Cover plate 54 was removed, previously, to permit the print 12 to be placed upon the backing plate 83.

The roller assembly 42 is removed from the housing 29, and the selected strip 14 is placed upon the carrier, in the position shown in Figure 6. Strip 14 is completely transparent, except for the representations 88. 90, 92, 94, and 96 provided on the several frames 86 and indicating various difierent coifiures. In this connection, said representations are imprinted upon the strip in any suitable manner, as by lithographing or by any of various other means known in the art of printing u on transparent strips. The area of the strip on which the coiifure representation is printed is opaquely backed, so that the customers own hair will not appear through the coitfure representation of the strip 14.

In any event, by rotation of a knob 84 secured to the shaft 72, the strip is caused to be moved, the several rollers turning. Each coiflfure representation may be superimposed in turn upon the print of the customers face, and thus the customer can ascertain exactly how a particular coilfure will look upon her own features. Obviously, various strips can be provided, and if all the witfures on a particular strip are not found satisfactory, another strip is placed upon the machine and the selection operation continues until the customer finds a coifiure that particularly suits her.

The device can of course be coin-controlled, so that it can be caused to operate only following deposit of a particular coin or coins.

It will be apparent that the machine is so designed that a customer can observe exactly how a particular hair style will appear on herself, and this eliminates the great doubt now present when a customer is choosing a new hair style.

It will be understood, of course, that the carrier is mounted within the casing in the manner shown in Figure 8, that is, one of the side plates of the carrier can be fixedly secured to the side wall 46.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for previewing the appearance of a coiffure upon a particular iudividuals features by exhibiting said coiffure upon a photographic print of the individuals face, comprising: an upwardly opening housing; an upwardly opening casing seated in the housing and proportioned for insertion and removal through the open top of the housing, said casing being wholly open at one side with said one side being closed by an adjacent side of the housing in the inserted position of the casing; a car- .rier mounted in said casing and including a support frame and a plurality of rollers carried by the frame, said frame including a backing plate adapted for supporting said print and disposed approximately at the top of the casing; an endless film strip removably tensioned about said rollers in overlying relation to the backing plate and including a series of pictorial representations of variouscoilfures adapted to be superimposed in successively following order on said print in corresponding, successively following positions to which the film strip may be advanced about the rollers, said strip being removable from the carrier in a lateral direction through the open side of the casing on exposure of said open side in response to removal of the casing from the housing; and a cover plate removably supported on the housing in overlying relation to both the housing and easing, said cover plate having a Viewing opening above the backing plate, for viewing of the print and the coiffure representations superimposed thereon through said viewing opening.

2. Apparatus for previewing the appearance of a coiffure upon a particular individuals features by exhibiting said coifi'ure upon a photographic print of the individuals face, comprising: a housing having an open upper end and including a front wall, back wall, and a pair of side walls one of which has an upwardly opening slot; a casing having an open upper end and removably seated in the housing, said casing being insertable and removable through said open upper end of the housing and including a front wall, back wall, and one side wall engageable against corresponding walls of the housing in the inserted position of the casing, the casing being wholly open at its other side; a carrier mounted in said casing and including a support frame and a plurality of rollers carried by the frame, one of said rollers including a shaft removably engaged in the slot and projecting laterally outwardly from the housing for rotation by' a user, said frame being secured at one side to said one side Wall of the casing and including a backing plate adapted for supporting said print and disposed approximately at said open upper end of the casing; an endless film strip removably tensioned about said rollers in overlying relation to the backing plate and including a series of pictorial representations of various coilfures adapted to be superimposed in successively following order on said print in corresponding, successively following positions to which the film strip may be advanced about the rollers, said strip being removable from the carrier in a lateral direction through the open side of the casing on exposure of the open side in response to removal of the casing from the housing; and a cover plate removably supported in the housing in overlying relation to both the housing and casing, said cover plate having a viewing opening above the backing plate, for viewing of the print and coiffure representations superimposed thereon through said viewing openings 3. Apparatus for previewing the appearance of a coiffure upon a particular individuals features by exhibiting said coitfure upon a photographic print of the individuals face comprising: a housing having an open upper end and including a front wall, back wall, and a pair of side walls one of which has an upwardly opening slot; a casing having an open upper end and removably seated in the housing, said casing being insertable and removable through said open upper end of the housing and includ- 'ing a front wall, a back Wall, and one side wall engageable against corresponding walls of the housing in the inserted position of the casing, the casing being wholly open at its other side; a carrier mounted in said casing and including a support frame and a plurality of rollers carried by said frame, one of said rollers including a shaft removably engaged in the slot and projecting laterally outwardly of the housing for rotation by a user, said frame including a pair of transversely spaced roller support plates between which the rollers extend, one of the roller support plates being fixedly secured to said one side wall of the casing, the frame further including a backing plate connected between the roller support plates and disposed approximately at said open upper end of the easing; an endless film strip removably tensioned about said rollers in overlying relation to the backing plate and including a series of pictorial representations of various coiifures adapted to be superimposed in successively following order on said print in cor-responding, successively following positions to which the film strip may be advanced about the rollers, said strip being removable from the carrier in a lateral direction through the open side of the casing on exposure of said open side in response to removal of the casing from the housing; and a cover plate removably supported on the housing in overlying relation to both the housing and the casing, said cover plate having a viewing opening above the backing plate, for viewing of the print and coiffure representations superimposed thereon through said viewing opening.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 666,906 Pierpont Ian. 29, 1901 1,577,213 Fenner Mar. 16, 1926 1,762,753 Aronson June 10, 1930 2,061,378 Henze et a1 Nov. 17, 1936 2,071,338 Henze et a1. Feb, 23, 1937 2,294,465 Lasker Sept. 1, 1942 2,609,489 Roman Sept. 2, 1952 2,828,554 Harris Apr. 1, 1958 

